Clif Energy bar - Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch

I'm not a fan of cereal bars, with the exception of Nature Valley Crunchy Oats & Dark Chocolate Granola Bars, but I couldn't resist the absolutely beautiful package design of this product. Besides, who can say nay when words like chocolate chip and peanut are floating before their eyes? So I picked up this Clif Energy bar from my trusty supermarket, Ratna Stores at Maitri Park, Chembur. These bars came all the way to Chembur from the US of A, where Clif Bar & Company make a host of organic health foods.

The company was set up by Gary Erickson in 1992 and is headquartered in Emeryville, California. Erickson got the idea of the flagship product, a basic health bar, in 1990 during a day-long bike ride. Back in those days, there were hardly any good energy bars and Erickson decided to make his own, starting his experiments in his mom's kitchen. Happy with his formula, he set up the company and named it Clif after his father, Clifford. The rock climber illustration, which is used to this day, was made by his friend, Doug Gilmore, on a napkin over dinner in San Francisco. Wikipedia cites, "in the the first year itself, sales of CLIF Bar exceeded $700,000, fueled primarily by strong sales in bike shops and the growth of the healthy and natural foods movement."

Today, the brand is highly popular not just for its products but also its CSR activities and commitment to organic foods. Clif Bar & Company produces a hot of products today, including nutrition bars for kids, protein bars for body builders, granola bars, fruit & nut bars and special bars for women. The Clif Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch Energy Bar is one among their popular categories.

The bar comprises organic brown rice syrup, soy protein isolate, rice flour, barley malt extract, organic rolled oats, organic peanut butter, chocolate chips, cocoa butter and peanuts among other things. The taste of peanut/peanut butter comes through, but the barely-there chocolate chips don't do anything for the bar. The consistency is sticky-soft and the taste is moderately sweet. However, it isn't tasty (as is the case with all healthy foods), and has that unmistakable cardboard-like flavour that raw oats tend to have. Don't ask me when I ate cardboard.

But the taste wasn't the only turn off. Price at an eye-watering INR 210, the 68g bar is hardly affordable for everyday consumption. I would have liked to try their double chocolate bar, but I think it's way too expensive.

RATING: 2.5/5

Le Chocolatier Caramel-Chocolate Bar (by The French Loaf)

When I was taking in the sights of Chennai on my recent maiden trip there, I noticed several outlets of The French Loaf. I made a mental note of checking out one of these yummy sounding joints, but couldn't due to lack of time. However, on my way out, I happened to spot another one of The French Loaf's kiosks at the airport. But this one was a chocolate counter (joy of joys!) and not an outlet for bakery/patisserie items.

 I immediately headed over and saw the most beautiful display of chocolates I have seen in a while. I felt an almost child-like joy in seeing those variously-shaped chocolates in the display cases and revolving shelves. There were bikes and bells and spoons and rabbits - all made of chocolate! I clicked on zealously, while other airfarers looked on amused.

After a totally 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' moment, I made the tough decision of a purchase and bought a Caramel-Chocolate Bar for INR 165. I picked this one because I've never have a 2-in-1 bar before and who can say nay to milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate chips and caramel all at once?

Packaged simply, much in the manner of homemade chocolates, the products at Le Chocolatier are tempting to look at because of their see-through covers. Unfortunately, prettiness is all there is to Le Chocolatier chocolates - at least the Caramel-Chocolate bar.

Teeth-numbingly sweet, this chocolate bar was a put complete put off for me. It is probably an adherence to the standard Indian preference for supersweet chocolates, but a chocolate has to have some taste of cocoa, no? There is hardly any difference between the milk and the white chocolate, given the overriding sweetness, though I found the white chocolate to be a tad smoother. The chocolate chips do little to salvage the product, and the only saving grace is the caramel in it. The caramel sprinkling over the milk chocolate makes it look appealing and also lends it a welcome crunch.

I don't know how The French Loaf fares with its core bakery products, but going by this one specimen (which, frankly, is unfair), chocolate does not seem to be their forte. I'm definitely going to try some other products from the chain before I form an opinion about them, but my rating for this bar is surely going to be a lowly two.

RATING: 2/5

Parle Hide & Seek

First things first, Parle's Hide & Seek cookies will never qualify as 'cookies' in my eyes, because only round and crumbly and buttery things can be called that. And secondly, they are definitely not the 'World's Best Moulded Chocolate Chip Cookies', but they're good in a way all things with chocolate are. Wikipedia defines moulded cookies as those... 'made from a stiffer dough that is moulded into balls or cookie shapes by hand before baking.

Moulded into balls or no balls, Hide & Seek is one consistent product. Since they launched a few years ago, I've consumed packets of these and they've always been the same. Slightly hard textured, but perfectly crunchy, these 'biscuits' have the right amount of chocolate chips in them to give them full flavour. The biscuit is mostly sweet, and the chocolate is just a tad dark, making for a good combination.

Parle's Hide & Seek is available in INR 5, 10, 20, 30 or 50 packets, and are perfect to go either with hot beverages or eaten by themselves. I like.

RATING: 3/5